Cabinet’s approval of a 2026 General Amnesty marks the latest attempt by Government to ease chronic overcrowding in Zimbabwe’s prisons while reinforcing ongoing reforms in the correctional system.
Under the decision, President Emmerson Mnangagwa will exercise his constitutional power of mercy to pardon selected categories of inmates.
According to the official briefing, the Presidential Clemency “will decongest the prison population for a healthy and secure environment for the remaining prisoners.”
The amnesty will cover all convicted female prisoners, juveniles, inmates serving 48 months and below, prisoners certified terminally ill, those aged 60 and above, inmates with disabilities, and life prisoners who have served at least 20 years. Serious offences such as murder, rape, treason and armed robbery are excluded.
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Zimbabwe’s prison population has for years exceeded official holding capacity. The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service has previously indicated that facilities built for roughly 17,000 inmates have at times housed more than 22,000, pushing occupancy rates well above 120 percent.
Overcrowding has been linked to health risks, limited access to rehabilitation programmes and mounting fiscal pressure on the State.
The 2026 clemency follows similar amnesties in 2014, 2018 and 2023, each introduced to reduce congestion. However, recidivism and continued reliance on custodial sentences for minor offences have often reversed gains.
In recent years, Government has introduced reforms including a strengthened parole system and non-custodial sentencing for minor crimes, aligning with the constitutional shift from “prisons” to “correctional services.”
Authorities say the latest amnesty complements these measures and supports the ZPCS mandate of rehabilitation and reintegration.
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